Method of making carbureted water gas



y i 1927 A. c. KLEIN METHOD OF MAKING CARBURETED WATER GAS Filed Nov. 18. 1921 Pieniea May ai, 1927.

UNITED .STATES PiiTi;N'ioFFicE. y

AUGUST C. KLEIN, OF JAMAICA PLAN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO STONE & WEB- STER, INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS', A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD oF 'MAKING CARBURETEDWATEB eas.

Application med November 1s, 19,21. serial N. 516,230.

This ,invention relates to the manufacture of carbureted water gas in the usual gas maki ing set including wwgenerator. carburetor. v and superheater and has special reference to 5 the manufacture of carbureted water gas iii vwhich a fuelhaving a substantial carbon depositing content, as Californian and Mexicai crude oils, is employed to enrich the 4water gas.

The usual gas making process comprises va run and blow, During the run, steam is admitted to the highly heated carbonalceous fuel inthe generator to form 'water gas. The resultant water gas is passed into, and through, a carburetor 'containing highly heated brick checker work and from thence to a similarly constructed and highly heated supei'heater. During the run oii is sprayed into the carburetorand is vaporized therein and converted into fixed gases which mixv with and enrich the water gas passing through the carburetor. The final fixing of the oil vapor occurs in the superheatei'. After a short period, usually about three to four :iiinutes't-he temperatures in 4the generator and carburetor become so reduced that gas can not be made efficiently and a blow is begun. Forthe blow, steam is turned olf from the generator and oil from the carburetor and air is forced through the generator'to burn with and reheat the fuel in the generator. The products of conibustion, known 'as blast or producer gases, are passed through the carburetor and superheater and serve to reheat both. Air is admitted into the stream of producer gas as it enters the carburetor and burns with the producer gas and the resultant heat is utilized to restore the temperature of the car-- buretor and super-heater. The blow usually takes about two to three minutes.

Then the temperatures in the apparatus have been restored, air is turned off from the generator-fand 'also from the carburetor and another run is begun by admitting steam again to the generator and oil to the carburetor.

It has been found that when certain enriching fuels are used', as'Califoi'nian andl Mexican oils, a substantial quantity of carbon is deposited upon the carburetor checker brick, and' that the carbon deposit, if permitted to remain .and to become highly heated during -succeeding blows, will combine mentioned, or possibly in lthe enriched water gas, to forni substantial quantities of carbon disulphidc'` a' compound detrimental to the quality of the carbureted water gas. For this reason, it is desirable to remove the carbonA deposit from the carburetor before each gasiiiaking run whereby to manufacture a. gas of low carbon disulphide content.

It has been the practice to burn the carbon deposit in the carburetor after the generator blasting period by admitting air into the carburetor after the air has been turned off in the generator and the production of .producer gas lhas ceased. The air will imite with the heated carbon deposit and .burn to ycarbon monoxide and carbon dioxide with the evolution of considerable heat. which has been found to accelerate the temperature rise usually is not nearly so great as when the burning operation is carried out after the eneratorr blasting operas, tion when the bric s are already heated to incandescence. When the generator air blast is turned on, at the end of the carbon burning operation, the entire brick Work is bathed in the relatively cool blast gases. During the continuance of the blastin any excess heat on the surface of the bric has time to penetrate or be conducted into the brick, so that the brick becomesV uniformly heated. Excess heat on the surface of the brick checker work may also be given up to the surrounding blast gases so that at thel v other source of pressure air supply to the base of the generator, and an upper pipe eirtendedfrom the top of the generaton to the top of -the carburetor and a lower pipe, ex-

` tended from the baseV of the generator and i es communicating with saidy upper pipe. The pipes connecting the generator and carbuvretor are so arranged that water ygas can vbe conducted into the carburetor from either the top or bottom of the generator. The upper pipe isalso used to conduct generator blast gases from the top of the generator to the to of the carburetor. The set `isvalso provi ed with an air blast pipe of relatively small diameter as contrasted with lsaid upper and lower pipes, and said pipe is exltended from the source of pressure air to the carburetor for the purpose of supplying air to burn the generator producer gasesin the carburetor' to relient it. y

. While the capacity of the carburetor .blast pipe is sufficient to supply 'the air needed 'for burning with the producer gas it may be of insutticient capacity to supply the large amount of air required to burn outl rapidly 'and effectively the carbon deposit in the carburetor and, when used, the carbon burning operation must be continued for a considerable period of time in order to burn out the carburetor cleanly, and therefore the twentyfourhour gas making capacity of the set is reduced.

.A further object of this invention is method'of operating the usual gas making `set whereby relatively large amounts of air may be supplied to the carburetor for the carbon burning operation as contrasted with the air capacity of the usual carburetor blast pipes, and without alteration of or addition to the usual gas making set.

- In carrying out this object of the invention, I pass air directly from the source of pressure air into the base lof the generator and withdraw air from the base of the generator through the lower ipe connecting with the base ot' the genera or by which it will be conducted into the top of the carburetor and burn with the carbon deposits; and I may at the saine time, and preferably do also pass air through the carburetor blast pipe into the carburetor to augment the supply for theA carbon burning operation. 'I also close tlievalve in the pipe extending from thc top of the carburetor to the generator so that air will not be forced through the bed ot' tire in the generator. In this manner a. relatively great. amount of air may be passed through the carburetor in a out.

relatively short period of time so that. the carbon burning operation .is rapidly carried Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a gas making set adapted for the performance of the invention. i

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the top courses of brick checker work in the carburetor illustrating the manner in which the carbon deposit is formed. l

The water gas making set here shown, and adapted for. theperformance of the invention, is of more orV lesscoinmon construction y and includes the water gas generator 10, the carburetor 11, andthe superheater 12. Air is supplied tothegenerator from a source of pressure air, yas the blower 13, through the pipe 13.; and said pipe has a valve 13?.

therein by means of whichithe flow ofair may be controlled. v A'pipe 14 of relatively large diameter.. having a valve A15 therein extends from the top ofl the 'generator to the top of the carburetor and a similar lower pipe 16 having a valve 17 therein extends from the base. o r ash pit ofthe generator and connects with the pipe 14 on the carbui retor sideof the valvellin saidpi-pe. This arrangement of pipeprovidesmeans where@ by the direction of making gas through the generator Amay be reversegl'when desired. A

pipe 18 connects the'bases ofthe''carburetorv and the superheateran'd 'servesto' conduct gas from one -to the iother; stack 'pipe ,i

19 is in communication with 'the top of tie su rhcater andis'provid`ed wtl'ifa stackfliml va ve 19 on the endfthereoi* During an air blasting period, the stack-pipe valvewill be open and the products ofcombiistion will escape tothe atmosphere, preferably, how v ever,l first passing through a waste heat boiler 19", During a gas making run stack valve 19L will be closedand thev carbureted" Water gas. will. pass from the top -of 'the' superheater through the pipe 2O and the water seal 21 into a gas holder. not shown.

The carburetor is provided with a carbu?.

retor air blast pipe 22 of .relatively small diameter as compared withy theA diameter of the pipes 13, 16, and 1:4. Said pipe 22 is -in communication with the blower'l through the pipe 13a and usually with the pipe 14 adjacent the carburetor.v A valve 23 in said pipe serves to control the flow of air therethrough.

The carburetor contains the brick checker work Q4, through which the vaporsof the enriching fuel pass coinmingled with'watei gas from the generator to be fixed into'per'-v4 follows:

branch 27 and the upper valve controlled branch 27a arranged to admit steam respectively eithei` below or ,above the fuel 'bed in the generator. l

'The customary' method of manufacturing earbureted water gas is substantially as During a gas making run, the generator blast valve 13", the carburetor blast valve 23 and one of the valves 15 and 17 is closed.

Assuming the yalve'l' to be closed, Vsteam is admitted through the steam branch .27

to thel base of the generator and passe.)l up-' wardly thioughthe highy heated fuel body therein, which fuel vbo y has previously been highly heated by air blasting. later gas is foi-inedv in the generator by the actiony of the steain on the highly heated fuel and passes through thefpipo 14 into the top of l the carburetor and thence flows downwaidly through the checker work 4 therein and through lthe connecting pipe 18 into the base ofthe superheater. (.)il is sprayed onto the top of the checker work in the carburetor thioufgh the pipe .25 to enrich `the water gas.

At the completion of thei'uii, the generator blast valve 13b is' opened and air is forced through the cooled bed of t'iiel in thc generator to burn therewith to reheat it. The producer gas foiined in the generator passes through the .pipe 14 into the top of the carburetor.' VThe c'aibnretor blast valve 23 is opened and air is admitted through the lpipe 22 into the producer or blast gas as it. passes-'into the.carburetor and burns therewith und the iesultaiit 'li'ea t raises-.the temperature of the checker work in the carburetor and superheater; "During the blast-l ing period, the oil is tuined oli'. After the temperatures lhave been suitably -re-estab-4 lished. a second gas making riniisbcgun. When cert-ain oils', as Californian and Mexican, having a substantial carbon depositing content are employed as enriching fuels,

the carbondeposit will collect on the checker brick. The deposit will gradually forni'- npon the first two courses as at' A, Fig. 2,

and at a slower ratenpon the lower courses'.`

It has heretofore been' the practice to burn out thel carbon deposit-fitr thecarbuietor after thev generator' air blasting pevriod or just irevious to the nextwater gas making run y closing. the generator valve 13" and continuingr tov adinitair to the carburetor vthrough `the carburetor blast pipe 22 as above. described.

As has been set foitln,- the removal of the carbon deposit at this period results in thechipping and crumbling and deteriora@ tion of thechecker work in the carburetor by reason of the' sudden cooling action of ,I the oil sprayed upon the highly heated bricks. By burning ont the carbon deposit after each' run and before the generator blasting operation, in accordance with mvinveiition, I find that the brick checkerV work in ay -be relatively free from deterioration for relatively long periods and consequently a considerable saving ot' expense may result y by reason of less frequent replacements of the checker work.

While airy for burning ont they carbon deposit i'nay be supplied through the pipe 22, I iind that inuch better results are 0b- 'tuineth and a shorter period,-by operatin the, gas making lsctso that ai-r is supplie mainly from the relatively large pipe 13 to the base` of the generator and thence through the pipe 16 into the carburetor. In-

asniiicli as vthe capacity of said pipe line is considerably greater than-that of the carf buretor blast' pipe 22. thev periodrequired for the cali'bon burning operation is considcrably reduced whereby the twenty-four hour capacity of the set is enhanced. I liiid furtherthah'by reason of the greater capacity ot said pipe line and consequently the abilitv to direct large volumes of air` through the carburetor, the carbon burning is more ccicntly performed and a cleaner carburetor results as the air supply is ample to search. and burnout remotely` disposed carbon particles, and the tinished caiburcted water gas consequently may have a -i'cduced carbon disnlpliide content.

In` operating the gas making set in accoi'dance with my invent-ion, I prefer topro- 1 ceed as follows:

During the water gas making run the stack valve 19'f. the generator blast valve 13b and the carburetor blast. pi'pr` 22 will be y15. closed.- Air now vflowsthiougli..pipe 22 into the carburetor and also through-the base ofthe generator and into and through pipe 1 6 and into the top of the carburetor downwardly through the carburetor. Nb air is forced through the generatorfire for the reason that valve 15 is closed. Theair lli? supplied through pipes 16 and -22` into the carburetor unites with the heated carbon cle-- posit on the checker work and burns with it. 'llie heat resulting frcinfthc combustion of the carbon .deposit in the carburetor raises the temperature of the carburetor and also of the superhcatcr. llVhen the carbon deposit has been burned out, valves 15 and 17 are adjusted for the generator blasting iso ` relieat it and the producer gas .formed passes through the pipe 14 into the top ot' the carburetor. If the carburetor has been insufli ciently heated by the combustion of the carbon deposit therein, and the amount of carbon deposited may vary with the particular oil employed as the enrichingr inediuln. then air will continue to be admitted through the carburetor blast pipe 22 to burn with the producer gas in the carburetor and elevate still further the temperature [of the carburetor and superheater. lf. however, the temperature in the carburetor and superlieater has been raised suiiciently high by the combustion of the carbon' deposit in the carburetor then, preferably. air is not admitted to the carburetor through the pipe 22. lVith this latter' condition, I prefer to force air through the generator at a relatively greater rate than has heretofore been customary whereby to burn the fuel in the generator more' efficiently and raise the teinperature of the fuel bed to the required dey A grec in a shorter time and thereby reduce the time required for the blasting operation and increase the daily capacity ot' the set.

At the end of the air blasting period. the generator blast valve 13" is closed and valves and 17 properly adjusted to secure thc desired direction of steam flow through the generator and steam turned into the generator through one of the steam branches, the

- particular one depending upon which of said valves 15 and 17 is open, and a. new gas makj ing run is begun.

,fhe terni carbon as herein employed denotes the carbon which is separated from the enriching fuel and deposited in the earburetor and this carbon may have associated with it other solids as sulphur compounds.

I claim:

1. The steps inthe method of making carbureted water gas with an oil having a substantial carbon depositing vcontent and in a gas making set including a generator and carburetor, which consists in retreating the carburetor after the usual combined steam and gas enriching run by burning fout the carbon deposit in the carburetor before each generator air blasting operation by a blast of free air passed through the carburetor in the directionof gas making. and then additionally heating the carburetor by inirnediately air blasting-solid fuel in thegenerator and passing the hot blast gases through the carburetor.

:2. The method of inalting earbureted water gas with an oil having a substantial carbon depositing content and in a gas making set including a generator and carburetor, which consists of the followingthree steps, in the order named; first, air blasting fuel in the generator toheat the fuel and passing the hot blast gases into the carburetor; second, passing steam into the heated fuel in the generator' to form water gas and passing the water gas into and enriching the water gas in the carburetor; and third. burning the carbon deposit out of the carburetor with' air and excluding the products of combustion from the generator.

The vmethod of making carbureted water gas with an oil having a substantial carbon depositing content and in a gas maklng set including a. generator anda carburetor, which consists in the immediately repeated performanceof the 'following steps. in the order named; first, in forcing air through the generator fuel bed to heat the fuel and forni producer gas, passing the producer gas into and burning' it in the ear buretor to heat the carburetor; second, 1n admitting steam to the heated fuel bed in the generator to form water gas and passing the Water gas through the carburetor and spraying oil into the carburetor to enrich the Water gas; and third,shutting off steam from the generator and oil from the carburetor when the generator fue] bed becomes cooled and passing air through the carburetor to burn ott' the highly heated carbon deposit in the carburetor and excluding the products of combustion from thegenerator.v

In testimony whereof, l have signed my naine to this specification.

AUeUsr c. KLEIN. 

